NEWS HEADLINES

“A most ingenius-general-information-automatic-machine has been set up outside one of the Melbourne railway stations. It is seven feet high and four feet broad, and will, it is said, give reliable information on quite a varied range of subjects. Touch one electric button and a list of the best hotels in the city appears; touch another and a theater playbill slides out; and a third discloses to view a list of the principal omnibus routes, and another the bus fares to the various places of interest.”

Also…

A reliable woman was wanted in every county to establish a Corset Parlor for the sale of Dr. Nichols Celebrated Spiral Spring Corsets.

W.K. Bell, a cattleman from Palo Pinto county, and Goat Walker had a shooting affair in the White Elephant saloon in Fort Worth. Nobody was hurt.

A Manayunk baggage smasher arrested for throwing his wife out of bed pleaded that he dreamed he was on duty.

Two more carloads of Chinamen in bond passed through Fort Worth en route to Havana.

Mr. Ed Rankin of Chico was in the city Monday strutting about and saying, “It’s a boy, a bouncing big boy, and don’t you forget it.”

100 YEARS AGO…

From Friday, July 19, 1918

United States soldiers were whipping the Germans.

“The House of Hate” starring Pearl White was showing at the Majestic.

Mrs. Sarah E. Gibbs, “one of those sturdy Christian characters whose untiring efforts helped in converting this section from a savage frontier into a place of modern civilization,” passed away at the age of 89.

75 YEARS AGO…

From Thursday, July 22, 1943

Dr. Ward Emphasizes Tire Shortage Here

“With the nation’s stockpile of tires going fast and the synthetic rubber program holding little promise of tires … for civilian use in the near future, farmers will get first choice of the last batch of government emergency tires, it was announced today by Chairman Ward of the Wise County War Price and Rationing Board.

“The chairman said he had been informed … that the nation now was entering into its gravest tire crisis … The best available estimate is that this crisis will continue for the next six months. Chairman Ward said in view of the fact a deficit of more than three million tires is anticipated during that period. …

“‘We are almost to the point now when a tire certificate from this board amounts to little more than a ‘hunting license’ for the person holding it,’ declared the chairman.

“The hope of the farmer lies in the ‘bottom of the barrel’ emergency tires, those that are repairable but not recappable …. With these … the nation’s food producers may bridge the gap.

“This is the ‘last call’ on these tires, according to Chariman Ward.”

Also…

Ben E. Keith Company was appointed distributor of BIRDS EYE FROSTED FOODS.

Cocanougher Feed Store sponsored a food production movie called “Twenty Fighting Men” to be shown at the Ritz and Majestic Theatres.

50 YEARS AGO…

From Thursday, July 18, 1968

Campers’ Thoughts on Reunion Starting July 31

“Fix-up and paint-up work has begun in earnest at the Wise County Reunion grounds south of Decatur, in preparation for the annual camp-out. And, it is less than two weeks away.”

Husband Charged in Death of Slidell Mother of Six

“Lawrence Hesteande, 35, was charged with the murder of his 33-year-old wife in Justice of the Peace Rocky Ford’s court Friday afternoon. Hesteande was lodged in the Wise County jail shortly after the shotgun slaying of his wife early Friday morning in Slidell.”